The European Space Agency (http://www.esa.int)

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides for and promotes, for exclusively peaceful purposes, co-operation among European States in space research and technology and their space applications, with a view to their being used for scientific purposes and operational space applications systems.

For over 30 years, the Member States of ESA (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Canada which also takes part in some programmes) have worked together and pooled their resources to open up new pathways in space exploration and the development of advanced technologies for the nations of Europe.

ESA's Convention lays out the task of defining and putting into effect a long-term European space policy that allows Europe to become and remain competitive in the field of space technology. ESA also endorses a policy of co-operation with various partners on the basis that pooling resources and sharing work will boost the effectiveness of its programmes. ESA's European space plan spans the fields of science, Earth observation, telecommunications, space-segment technologies (including in-orbit stations and platforms), ground infrastructures and space-transportation systems, as well as microgravity research. Its role also takes in co-ordinating the Agency's own work with the national programmes of its members, so that they can be progressively integrated within pan-European programmes.

ESA, which is basically a research and development organisation, also has an industrial policy that encourages competition and ensures that each member country will, for the investment it makes, enjoy a fair financial return and a fair share of the technological spin-offs. Apart from the scientific programme, which is directed more towards basic research aimed at widening our knowledge of space, the Earth and its environment, ESA's work results in industrial development, operational products like the launchers of the Ariane family, and applications satellites such as ECS, Marecs and Meteosat, which are managed by commercial companies (Arianespace, Eutelsat, Inmarsat and Eumetsat).

Maison d'Ailleurs (http://www.ailleurs.ch)

The Maison d'Ailleurs (the House of Elsewhere) is a non-profit foundation created in 1976 in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, by the French encyclopaedist Pierre Versins. It is the only public museum in the world dedicated to science fiction, utopia and extraordinary journeys. It explores the main themes of science fiction (space travel, psi powers, future cities, etc.) and each year puts on exhibitions of the major artists in the field (H.R. Giger, W. Siudmak, Caza, J. Fontaine, etc.).

Maison d'Ailleurs also serves as a research and documentation centre with its unique collection of more than 60 000 items, a constantly growing research library comprising some 40 000 books in 40 languages, and thousands of objects related to science fiction and utopia (paintings, illustrations, posters, movies, games and toys, etc.) The richness of the museum's collection attracts specialists, scholars, students, journalists, writers, curators and the like from all over the world, and publishers and artists often rely on its huge iconographic database for their work.

The OURS Foundation (http://www.ours.ch)

The OURS Foundation is a non-profit cultural and astronautical organisation founded in 1990 in Switzerland, the primary purpose of which is to introduce, nurture and expand a cultural dimension to humanity's astronautical endeavours. This task will be manifested through the identification, investigation, support and realisation of related cultural, astronautical, humanitarian, environmental and educational activities, which may take place both on and off planet Earth, and which are deemed beneficial to the development and advancement of human civilisation in this new environment. The OURS Foundation has been responsible for organising space cultural events both on the Earth, including the IAF Congresses in Oslo, Turin, and Melbourne, and aboard the Mir space station in 1993 (Cosmic Dancer) and 1995 (Ars Ad Astra on EuroMir'95), etc.

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